Meet one of the 'unsung heroes' who made the Olympics happen

One of the hardest moments for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Rob Taylor , officiating this year at his fifth Olympics, was spotting an absentminded infringement by a sailing team that cost them a shot at a medal.

A misplaced weight was discovered during a post-race inspection and the two-man crew, who’d had a great event up to that point and sailed beyond their expectations, saw their placing tumble out of the top 10 that would have given them a spot in the final.

Rob says: “It is one of the hardest parts of the job, especially when one silly mistake costs them so dearly. But my role as an official is to make sure that the racing is fair for the other competitors. We’re there to uphold the integrity of the rules.

“You catch the little stuff and it sends a message to the fleet that they have to be on their game and can’t get away with anything minor. It might not make a significant performance difference but that’s the thin end of the wedge: without it, you have the potential for more widespread rule-breaking.”

He has been a key figure in the men and women’s skiff events at Olympics going back to Beijing in 2008. He also officiated in London in 2012, Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.

Rob was one of 10 International Technical Officials who comprise the Technical Committee tasked with inspecting all the boats before and after racing.

Any breaches of the rules are reported by him as “protests” to be assessed by an international jury, hearing both sides, with decisions turned around within hours.

A more straightforward infringement this year was a team found breaking the rules by polishing their boat – directly outside the Technical Officials’ office.

Rob explains: “Even if it’s just a bit, it can make a lot of difference. A really marginal gain potentially gets a half yard advantage at the start.

“I try to make sure I am very clear that there are no conflicts of interests – or perceived conflicts,” he says. “I know all the teams but it’s about acknowledging that there’s potential for conflict.

“For this reason, I did not inspect the British boats; another member of the team did. It steps me away from any perceived conflicts and it’s about professional conduct.? It’s such a small sport[RT1]?.”

Does Rob sometimes wish he could swap the rule book for a competitor’s slot?

“Massively so,” he says. “Being a sailor myself, it’s frustrating and enjoyable in equal measure. Some days I like to think I could hop on and give it a shot. But in difficult conditions, I think – nah, that’s fine! The sailors competing at this level are incredibly talented at what they do. It’s stuff I could only dream of.

“That’s why I am happy to give back as an official. A sport like this relies on its volunteers. If they do not give up their time, the race does not happen, no matter how good the athletes are. There’s a lot of unsung heroes.”